Senior Programme Manager

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of the UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

The Sustainable Development Cluster supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services, UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), and the Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio. It provides services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement defined activities in support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was established by the UN’s General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA supports humanitarian organizations to respond effectively to the needs of people caught in crises, to understand and analyze their needs, and to mobilize international assistance. To achieve its mandate, OCHA has five core functions, one of which is represented by its Information Management Branch (IMB) who is responsible for strengthening the institutional capacity to deliver more credible, comprehensive and evidence-based situational awareness to the humanitarian system. This role is crucial since OCHA plays a unique role as the central hub for information management services to the entire humanitarian community, including other UN agencies, and international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). OCHA gathers, analyses, and shares data and information on the entirety of a humanitarian response. This data underpins our work on coordination, decision-making and advocacy.

OCHA´s IMB information products, tailored to specific audiences, include maps, graphics, situation reports, humanitarian bulletins and websites. The IMB is also the steward of humanitarian tools and services that help inform decision-making across the response. These include ReliefWeb, which provides 24-hour coverage of disasters, conflicts and crises for the humanitarian community, and ReliefWeb Response, an operational platform and resource repository for humanitarians. In addition, OCHA’s Centre for Humanitarian Data manages the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX), a platform that shares real-time humanitarian data.

In order to fulfill this mandate, OCHA needs to undertake highly time-sensitive, agile, and result-oriented activities, which is demanded by a sector characterized by dynamism and rapid evolution. Thus, with its expertise in providing project management services to UN entities and member states in digital services, UNOPS is able to deliver services in accordance with OCHA’s needs. The project will be fully managed by UNOPS on behalf of OCHA.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

To achieve its goals, UNOPS is recruiting a Senior Programme Manager. The role contributes to i) closely coordinating with UN OCHA’s leadership team the implementation of UNOPS projects in line with the agreements; ii) supervising a team of UNOPS expert personnel with various job functions, and iii) managing security and staff welfare.

The role requires strong organizational and people management skills; solid UN experience; and a very good understanding of the UN’s role and mandates (particularly both of OCHA and UNOPS). It requires regular interaction with UN headquarters staff and colleagues distributed across different time-zones. The ability to build, maintain and improve relationships and partnerships is critical to this role.

The Senior Programme Manager will promote the continuous improvement of:

• The role and function of the team and office;
• The way in which teams collaborate across the network; and
• Cross team, border and regional sharing of knowledge

The ideal candidate will be driven by values, be people-centered, and seek to improve UN processes in order to drive greater and faster impact. The ideal candidate is able to orient individuals, teams and a network in a way that accelerates UN OCHA in achieving a UN family that shapes responsible and inclusive digital innovation to serve people.

This is a position to support a project which UNOPS is implementing for OCHA. The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

This is a home-based assignment that may involve traveling to various locations, depending on the needs of the project and its partner OCHA.

Functional Responsibilities:

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the UNOPS Senior Portfolio Manager and in close coordination with OCHA management to execute the following duties:

• Leadership Team
• Management & Coordination
• Security, Welfare & Wellbeing
• Representation

Leadership Team

• Provide leadership direction to project and its personnel, office and partners.
• Act as the focal point with UNOPS New York on all UN OCHA implementation matters.
• Provide guidance, expertise and experience to programmatic, capability and operational teams/staff to further the implementation of the UNOPS ToR and Strategy, while maintaining continuous improvement in support of organizational excellence and world-class performance.
• Keep UN OCHA leadership informed/advised on opportunities, challenges and risks. Regularly identify, update and report on operational risks associated with delivery to senior management.

Management & Coordination

• Guide and oversee project implementation and activity/experiment/project agreements.
• Support decision-making on finance, procurement and HR in line with UN rules and policies.
• Support the programme to establish annual objectives and targets, performance measurements and standards which help ensure timely and partner-oriented services.
• Ensure internal performance and quality management for the programme, including tracking, monitoring and reporting on project delivery and finance/budgets.
• Establish direction, work plans and manage priorities within the set of activities and results assigned to UNOPS. Oversee and support the implementation of activities, projects, capabilities and annual work plans.
• Promote teamwork and collaboration by providing timely guidance and supervision to the team to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
• Ensure the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learnt for UNOPS, UN OCHA, and the UN.
• Share knowledge with peers across the UNOPS network to ensure coordinated delivery of projects, activities and services.
• Manage overall HSSE performance and reporting in the office fulfilling UN corporate requirements and obligations.
• Carry out other management and coordination activities as required.

Security, Welfare & Wellbeing

• Create, foster and promote a role model culture of trust, transparency, empowerment and accountability within the office.
• Create, foster and promote a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, bullying, harassment, poor professional conduct, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. Ensure accountability mechanisms are in place and perform duties in accordance with UN/UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.
• Act as the office focal point for Diversity & Inclusion. Plan, recruit, manage and develop a flexible and diverse workforce with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance.
• Oversee, monitor and direct appropriate measures to maintain the safety and security of personnel, assets, property and information.
• Ensure all people managers have required support systems to lead their teams sustainably and professionally.
• Provide mentorship to office staff for skills and career development.

Representation

• Act as the focal point for all programmatic matters related to the implementation of the project. This mainly includes the attendance of relevant meetings, and the preparation of presentations to OCHA and UNOPS´ internal and external stakeholders, as needed.

Qualifications, Experience and Language Requirements:

a. Education:

• An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Business Administration, Management Studies, Law or other relevant area is required
• A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) with an additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

b. Work Experience

Required

• At least seven (7) years of experience in one or more of the following areas: management, innovation, digital technology, humanitarian response, development, peacebuilding, research, or another related field.
• Experience in UN processes and coordination in HR, procurement, financial & budget management, oversight, ethics and compliance is required.
• Experience working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams is required.

Desirable

• Experience working on data, technology or innovation projects is highly desirable
• Experience leading/managing organizational change is preferred.
• Experience in building, developing and managing teams or organizations is highly desirable.
• Experience translating vision and strategy in to workplans, initiatives, projects, actions and activities is desirable.
• Experience working with UNOPS projects and UNOPS processes is desirable
• Experience in humanitarian and post-conflict related work is desirable

c. Language:

• Full working knowledge of English is essential
• Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset